Very little needs repeating about the saddest, darkest lows that followed the immeasurable highs of WrestleMania XX for Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero.
The journeymen wrestlers that had made it to pro wrestling's pinnacle had experienced many of the hardest yards together. They may have been holding up titles they were booked to win by an organisation dictating their futures, but the physical belts were acknowledgements beyond anything ever thought possible for the pair - they marked very real achievements for the performers so often considered too small, too bland and too generic to make it in an industry defined by WWE's output.
Capturing every emotional beat, Jim Ross lamented on their incredible sacrifices on the way up as streamers and tears flowed freely. Within three years, he'd be instructed to never mention the moment again.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
